Some people are obnoxious and increasingly to me it seems like they know exactly who and what they are (and believe me, their obnoxiousness does qualify as their "who" and their "what").
Case in point. About 9 months ago, my car, Jorie, La Contesse Blanche, was a bit sensitive. Her alarm wouldn't stop sounding. Now, I work in a cubicle, and while it has a "window," it's not a window to the outside world, or to the parking lot conveniently located in the back of the building. Therefore, if said alarm was going off, I had no idea. It's not like my keys start jangling screaming, "Someone's trying to TAKE ME!"
So the receptionist sent out the e-mail that said, "There's an alarm going off," yada yada. I reply back to her saying it's my car and I'll go see about it. By the time I get out there, it's finished it's morning aria or whatever. Anyway, this kept happening for a couple of days and then the receptionist stops by for a chat. We're talking hair, but then she casually throws in, "Oh yeah! By the way, so-and-so instructed me to inform you that you can't park your car on this side of the building anymore. The alarm is very disruptive apparently and they really don't think that you would want it to be going off because it's probably hurting your battery."
Well duh, we both said.
"And it's not like you're supposed to know. How are you supposed to know, you know? So I just told them that I'd tell you, but they, as far as I'm concerned, certainly don't have the right to tell you where you can and can't park your car. Sure they're an [important employee] and all, but they don't have rank they can pull like that. It's very petty I think, but hey, you know how it goes ..."
Mmmm hmmm I said to myself. So that was annoying. Especially since it was a new car and I never actually witnessed the sounding myself, but also because this person would walk by and glare at me BUT NEVER SAID a word to ME about it.
Games people play.
So anyway, today, a co-worker stops by to chat it up and they go, "Oh, yeah, I was just in a meeting with so-and-so and they told me to tell you that your alarm hasn't been going off and they really appreciate that."
My eyebrows reach their red alert height and the buddy retorts, "Hey. Don't shoot the messenger. I mean, what a ridiculous thing to suggest I pass on, not to mention random, but whatever. I told you so now you know."
Yeah. Seriously? What's up with people and the "power trips?" (Granted such a message reflects all the power of a 9-volt battery, but still. Way to take your hoity-toity self seriously.)
It makes me want to send them an e-mail that says something like:
Dear Self-Appointed Up-In-My-Businessperson:
This e-mail serves to inform you that I know that you know it's my car. You know my name so maybe you can contact me directly to address any grievances or so-called updates about my car's behavior. Stop sending other people to pass on your drivel. It's annoying, but it's also beneath both them and you.
While I'm certainly not calling into question exactly what it is you do here (because I do realize it is important, billable work), I would hope you'd making better use of that corner office.
Best,
Proud owner of the petulant White 2007 Jetta
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Oh and one other thing that's curiously annoying to me:
The phantom opera singer man who provides us back-side apartment dwellers with hearty, Pavoratti-esque blurts of Italian vowel sounds.
Every morning between seven and eight, I enter my bathroom and hear "ooooOOOOOaaaaaiIIIIIIIIII!" in great voluminous outbursts, some of which have caused me to choke on my Listerine. Most of the time though,I find myself silently wishing you luck on your auditions or Act IIs. I also find myself wishing, not so silently, that someone would start yelling Philly-style out of their bathroom window, "Alright already!"
Seriously. At least give me a whole bar of music, a verse, "Nessun Dorma," something.